Pan Malaysia Bus Operators Association is proposing to the federal government to increase 30 to 40 percent of bus fares in the National Budget 2014 due to recent diesel price hike.
“The diesel price hike is not the first time and we know it will not be the last. Due to the price hike, the daily operation cost has increased five percent. To ensure the bus operators continue to survive in the industry, we need to increase the bus fares,” Pan Malaysia Bus Operators Association President Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali said during a press conference held at a hotel here.
Ashfar said the bus operator does not have the authority to increase the bus fare as it is controlled by the government.
He said the bus operators are not interested to increase the fare and burden the consumers, especially from the low income groups but they have no choice. Otherwise, they have to close down the business.
Ashfar said he has submitted the proposal in a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Department a week ago and want the government to look into it seriously – NST
